During the first month of Israel's devastating war, the Biden administration began its efforts to plan for future governance in Gaza, assuming Israel's likely success in defeating Hamas and taking control of the besieged territory.
In keeping with these efforts, Jake Sullivan, Biden's national security adviser, was sent to meet with representatives of both the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority.
During his meeting with President Mahmoud Abbas in December, Sullivan conveyed that the PA in its current structure lacks the capacity and leadership needed to govern the Gaza Strip and must be “renewed and revitalized” to do so. Sullivan's position implied that the Palestinian Authority would serve as the administrative body governing Gaza on the “day after” the war.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly expressed Israel's intention to destroy Hamas and maintain full security control over Gaza, rejecting any Palestinian sovereignty or a two-state solution. This is what prompted President Biden to assert that any new occupation of Gaza would be a “mistake.”
The United States has actively sought regional support for its post-war efforts in Gaza through shuttle visits by Secretary of State Antony Blinken since the beginning of the war. But throughout these efforts, the US administration has dealt only with the Palestinian Authority, ignoring the voices of Gazans themselves and other Palestinian political parties.
These factions, some of which are major players with significant power on the ground, occupy distinct positions. Not only do they reject the future the United States proposes for Gaza, but they also have their own comprehensive vision, which includes Gaza and broader Palestinian political issues.
“The US administration has dealt only with the Palestinian Authority, ignoring the voices of Gazans themselves and other Palestinian political parties.”
Gaza and the future of Palestine
Most Palestinian political parties view the future of the Gaza Strip after the war through two basic aspects. First, they consider Gaza to be an internal Palestinian issue that requires a solution between the various Palestinian political forces and must be approved by the Palestinian people.
Second, they emphasize that Gaza cannot be separated from the broader goals of the Palestinian political cause, which include the ongoing struggle for the right of return and national self-determination.
In a televised speech in early January marking the 88th day of the Israeli war, Ismail Haniyeh, head of Hamas’ political bureau, declared that “the future of the Gaza Strip is closely linked to the future of the West Bank, including Jerusalem.”
The group, according to Haniyeh, is ready to participate in a national government to oversee the occupied Palestinian territories in both Gaza and the West Bank, but until a national unity government is formed, “the current ruling apparatus” will continue to administer Gaza.
The Hamas leader also called for rebuilding the PLO based on “democratic principles that truly reflect the voices of all Palestinians” and stressed that a unified national leadership within the PLO would be rooted in the goals of self-determination and statehood. The right of return for Palestinian refugees.
Later in January, Haniyeh reiterated his call for Palestinian political unity and a reorganization of the PLO that would “include everyone” during a speech to the Freedom for Palestine Conference in Istanbul.
Since the end of the first temporary truce in December, Hamas has reiterated that a permanent ceasefire will be a precondition for any future negotiations.
An end to the Israeli war
Talking to The New ArabBoth Ihsan Ataya, a prominent member of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement in Lebanon, and Osama Hamdan, the supreme representative of Hamas in Lebanon, stressed that the primary goal at the present time is to stop the Israeli war in Gaza and achieve a permanent cessation of hostilities. It is not a temporary truce.
Hamdan said: “We are open to discussing any proposal that is compatible with the declared goals of Hamas and the resistance factions, most notably a comprehensive cessation of the war on Gaza.” The New Arab.
He added: “So far, there are no serious proposals that are commensurate with the sacrifices and capabilities of the Palestinian resistance.”
The group recently reiterated this call ahead of the International Court of Justice's ruling on South Africa's genocide case against Israel, saying that if the court orders a ceasefire, Hamas will implement the decision if Israel adheres to it as well. In the end, the International Court of Justice stopped short of calling for a ceasefire.
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Hamdan added, “There will be no negotiations regarding the release of Israeli prisoners before the complete cessation of hostilities and the withdrawal of the Israeli occupation forces from the borders of the Gaza Strip,” rejecting Israeli plans to establish a buffer zone.
Ihsan Ataya of the Islamic Jihad movement said that the Palestinian Islamic Jihad demands “a complete cessation of aggression, not just any temporary truce.”
In December, Egypt put forward a proposal to end the war, including the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, the release of all Israeli hostages in exchange for an unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners, and the installation of a technocratic Palestinian government in Gaza.
Ataya said the proposal contains “general ideas and principles for discussions,” but has not been officially released by Egypt and has now reportedly been shelved without its details being published.
“Most political parties view Gaza as an integral part of the broader goals of the Palestinian cause, including the right of return and national self-determination.”
Palestinian consensus
In a statement issued after a meeting in Beirut on December 28 of the central leadership of the coalition of Palestinian factions – which includes Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Fatah Al-Intifada, Al-Saiqa and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command (PFLP – General Command) – the coalition said it was united in its position. From the war.
This included ending the Israeli military operation, withdrawing Israeli forces from Gaza, allowing in humanitarian aid, and reaching an “all-for-all” exchange deal – all Israeli hostages for all Palestinian prisoners.
The factions also held the United States responsible for its role in supporting Israel militarily and politically.
The future of the Gaza Strip is inseparable from the future of Palestine. Leila Khaled, a leader in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, said that the current priority is to stop the ongoing Israeli war, which is seen as an attempt to eliminate the Palestinian cause. The New Arab.
She added that the Palestinian factions will continue to resist militarily until Israel withdraws from Gaza and implements the exchange deal based on the Al-Qassam Brigades formula of “all for all.”
When asked about the proposals circulating in the media regarding the future of Gaza, Khaled said that the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine refuses to impose any “security and administrative arrangements by the colonial powers and their collaborators.”
She added that the administration of Gaza will be determined by the Palestinian factions and approved by the Palestinian people.
“The Popular Front, in partnership with other Palestinian resistance factions, believes that the future of the Gaza Strip is part of the broader struggle for Palestinian national self-determination and achieving the right of return for Palestinian refugees to their homeland from which they originated.” eviction.”
The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine confirmed in a statement The New Arab The future of Gaza will be a purely Palestinian matter, calling on the United States and other countries to refrain from thinking about post-war scenarios. The group added that the armed Palestinian resistance will fight against the restoration or occupation of any part of the Gaza Strip by Israel.
The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine stressed that the “second day” after the war should be an opportunity for the Palestinian people to rebuild their political system on the basis of Palestinian national unity and reconciliation within the Palestine Liberation Organization, which it said was the only legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.
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The position of the Palestinian Authority
While the Palestinian Authority also calls for an end to the Israeli war, it has engaged in discussions about the future management of Gaza with the United States, European countries, and Arab countries.
In December, Hussein al-Sheikh, head of the Palestinian Authority's General Authority for Civil Affairs, said so Reuters Following a meeting with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, the Palestinian Authority confirmed its readiness to manage the Gaza Strip after the war, stressing the necessity of having one government governing the Palestinian homeland.
He acknowledged that there was a need for the Palestinian Authority to evaluate its behavior, and pointed out the need to hold everyone accountable after the war. He added: “It is unacceptable for some people to believe that their approach and approach to managing the conflict with Israel was optimal and best,” in statements that were considered directed at Hamas and other factions.
This, in turn, prompted Hamas leader and spokesman Osama Hamdan to criticize these comments. Ramzi Rabah, a leader in the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, commented on the sheikh’s statements TNAHe added: “Al-Sheikh has no right to say what he said as a representative of the PLO, and his position does not reflect the positions of the organization.”
“The vision of post-war Israel is nothing more than security arrangements and civil administration, similar to “Greater Israel” or an apartheid state.”
Al-Sheikh renewed Palestinian Authority President Abbas's call to hold an international conference to chart a new path for peace, stressing diplomatic efforts to persuade Israel to agree to a two-state solution that includes the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem.
He added that while he noted that the United States expressed verbal support for the Palestinian state in the meetings, there were no concrete actions or political initiatives to enable this.
In the past, Hamas has indicated its willingness to accept a two-state solution, but has indicated that it will not recognize Israel's right to exist. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad categorically rejects any political settlement with Israel, while the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which originally proposed the idea of a two-state solution in 1974, has reiterated its acceptance of it.
At the same time, the Popular Front views the two-state solution as a temporary political settlement.
Within the framework of Israel's post-war vision, Netanyahu said that there will be only one state between the river and the sea, stressing that there is no possibility of the establishment of an independent Palestinian state as part of the two-state solution.
He reiterated this position after recent reports emerged of a three-stage proposal to end the war that could include an interim truce and the exchange of Israeli and Palestinian prisoners, calling instead for “total victory” for Israel. Hamas said it was studying the proposal.
The Israeli Prime Minister also reiterated that Israeli forces will not leave Gaza, and ruled out the release of Palestinian prisoners, reiterating the goal of eliminating Hamas.
This would suggest that the vision of post-war Israel is nothing more than security arrangements and civil administration, akin to “Greater Israel” or an apartheid state with national and civil rights for only one ethnic group.
Any such outcome would not only apply to Gaza, but to all Palestinians from the river to the sea.
Samer Jaber is a political activist and researcher from Jerusalem.
He is currently a PhD researcher specializing in Political Economy at Royal Holloway, University of London, and is also a Fellow of the Council for Academics at Risk (CARA). It focuses on the Arab world and the Middle East region.
Follow him on Twitter: @AhlainAhlain
